Investment Visa

[en184]

If I had 5m invested in a thai brokerage account, and a condo worth 5m, would this be sufficient for an investment visa?

[Jingthing]

No.

http://www.sunbeltlegaladvisors.com/Thaila...stment-Visa.php

[en184]

I heard there was a new investment visa with a minimum of 10m bhat?

[Jingthing]

I don't think so.

[Firefan]

The 10M Baht investment visa was cancelled years ago. The 3M Baht investment visa was cancelled 1-2 years ago (for new applicants). Cheers!

[Jingthing]

I suggest you take your money to a country that wants you and your money. Thailand ain't it, haven't you been reading the news?

[UnknownPoster]

You can buy a condo but you cant stay there full time.

AMAZING THAILAND.

[LivinLOS]

The 10M Baht investment visa was cancelled years ago. The 3M Baht investment visa was cancelled 1-2 years ago (for new applicants). Cheers!

I too had heard or seen discussion on the 10m visa again and thought there was some reprise of this.. Bad assumption it seems..

[wpcoe]

If you've rummaged through the old threads here, there was a "rumor" before the B3m investment visa was terminated that a new B10m investment visa would replace it. (Was that part of the Oct 1, 2006 change?) However that rumor of a B10m replacement turned out to not be true.

[gzu88bv]

If I had 5m invested in a thai brokerage account, and a condo worth 5m, would this be sufficient for an investment visa?

With that money at hand I would just play it a little bit different visawise........ i.e. a Multiple Non-O-Visa?

[Firefan]

Yeah, the "new" 10M Baht version rumour arose when the 3M Baht visa got stopped in Oct 2006. It was just a rumour though.

Cheers!

[Naam]

You can buy a condo but you cant stay there full time.

AMAZING THAILAND.

buy a condo or a house in USA or in one of the EU-countries and try to stay there full time. no can do!

[Firefan]

True; but the right to stay long term in most developed countries also includes perks like medical, unemployment benefits, social services Etc. so should be harder to get.

In Thailand one get the right to beg next to the Dutch begger at the road cross over. So not really comparing apples to apples.

Cheers!

You can buy a condo but you cant stay there full time.

AMAZING THAILAND.

buy a condo or a house in USA or in one of the EU-countries and try to stay there full time. no can do!

[samran]

True; but the right to stay long term in most developed countries also includes perks like medical, unemployment benefits, social services Etc. so should be harder to get.

In Thailand one get the right to beg next to the Dutch begger at the road cross over. So not really comparing apples to apples.

Cheers!

You can buy a condo but you cant stay there full time.

AMAZING THAILAND.

buy a condo or a house in USA or in one of the EU-countries and try to stay there full time. no can do!

I've got the right to stay in the UK for up to 3 years at the time and a UK greencard. Apart from the NHS which I can get from working there, I'd be interested in you letting me know as an Australian (or any non-EU national) how I can access 'public funds' in the UK? Fact is I can't. Same goes for all work permit holders in the UK.

As opposed to someone in Thailand, who pays into the public insurance fund here when they work, has access to the same level of social services that are available to all other thai's via the social security fund. True, the level of care/social service you get here is less (goes with the territory of being a developing country) but the principal of equal access for all regardless of nationality is alive and well here.

[Firefan]

Valid point Samran. I was however refering more to a long stay visa, basically leading to residency and maybe even national status down the road.

At least where I am from, Scandinavia, that type visas gives you rights almost from day 1. That can be a cost/burden for society and therefore such a visa should not be a "walk in the park" to get.

In Thailand we all know that there will be very little help to get. Well, there is that comfy spot next to that Dutch guy...

Your 3 year situation sounds a bit different in that respect of course. An investment visa (at least when promoted) was much longer term than that - basically till death (as long as investment in place). Your situation sould like a time limited expat position.

Anyway; we do not disagree. It is naturally up to Thailand to restrict foreigners in staying as much as they please. I just don't think one can apply the same rules as for a developing country as one uses for a developed country for the reasons I mentioned.

Cheers!

[Misty]

Yeah, the "new" 10M Baht version rumour arose when the 3M Baht visa got stopped in Oct 2006. It was just a rumour though.

Cheers!

Back in June when I was looking at alternative options to an extended stay based on business, a Thai lawyer said that Permanent Residency status (as opposed to a 1 yr extended stay based on investment) could be granted based on any of several reasons, including investing a minimum of Bt10m. Is this also no longer the case?

Cheers, Misty

[palm]

I heard there was a new investment visa with a minimum of 10m bhat?

You could try the Thai Elite card - its only 1m baht and you get a 5 year renewable visa and other benefits.

http://www.thailandelite.com/member_terms.php

It has a lot of detractors though.

[thedi]

http://www.thailandelite.com/member_terms.php

The page which lists the privileges, seems to not be able to show the special immigration privileges at the moment? If you read the contract you will see, that the company is not related to immigration in any way and that it makes a strong point, that privileges may be amended at any point of time.

Subscribers have no rights, they just can take what the company gives them at any time - which may be zero.

IMHO: rather uninteresting to put one million Baht on this.

Regards

Thedi

[Maestro]

Back in June when I was looking at alternative options to an extended stay based on business, a Thai lawyer said that Permanent Residency status (as opposed to a 1 yr extended stay based on investment) could be granted based on any of several reasons, including investing a minimum of Bt10m. Is this also no longer the case?

It is still there in the Immigration Act:

Section 34 : aliens entering into the kingdom for a temporary stay may enter for the below listed activities;

...

7. Investing or other activities relating to investing subject to the provisions of the law on

investment promotion.

Section 35 : The Director General or the competent official deputized by the Director General shall have the authority to permit the alien , who entered to stay temporarily in the Kingdom under Section 34 , to remain in the Kingdom under any prescribed conditions. The periods of time which one is authorized to stay in the Kingdom are as Follows :

...

6. As deemed appropriate by the Commission of Investment Promotion , for a case under

Section 34 (7)

Section 43 : When any alien brings foreign not less than ten million baht , for investment in the Kingdom

and the Immigration Commission has considered that it is not contradictory to the provisions of this Act ,

the Immigration Commission , with the concurrence of the Minister, shall allow said alien to take up

residence in the Kingdom over and the above number of aliens as published by the Minister under

Section 40, but not to exceed 5% of said amount each year.

For the purpose of examination of foreign currency brought in for investment, the alien who is

allowed to take up residence under Para , must display financial status for the period of not less than two

years , but not more than five years, in accordance with the regulation prescribed by the Immigration

Commission , or as the Immigration Commission may deem appropriate.

The web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also still lists it:

3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA

1. REQUIREMENT

This type of visa is issued to applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom for the following purposes:

...

- to invest with the concurrence of the Thai Ministries and Government Departments concerned (Category "IM")

...

--

Maestro

[Firefan]

THe 10M Baht (leading to PR down the road) was the visa I mentioned that has been stopped years ago. THe 3M baht visa got stopped a year ago.

The fact that it is still mentioned in the emmigration act is interesting, albeit a mood point as it is no longer granted in real life. Updates of the emmigration act takes years.

Cheers!

[mortenaa]

You can buy a condo but you cant stay there full time.

AMAZING THAILAND.

I can go to United States, without the need of a Visa, since im from a european country. I can buy a condo, invest in business. Does it give me any right to stay there full time?????

[en184]

You can buy a condo but you cant stay there full time.

AMAZING THAILAND.

I can go to United States, without the need of a Visa, since im from a european country. I can buy a condo, invest in business. Does it give me any right to stay there full time?????

yes, even a thai making a 200,000 USD (7m bhat) investment in the USA can get an investor visa.

The Treaty Investor Visa permits citizens of certain countries to reside in the United States through an investment in the U.S.A. The investor must come to manage or oversee the investment.

The Treaty Trader visa is the same as the Treaty Investor visa except that it involves qualifying trade between the US and the treaty country. Instead of investing the qualifying activity is import/export of goods or services.

One may invest in virtually anything or trade in virtually anything. While some under $200,000 investments are approved, its safe to say that the investment capital and reserves should total at least $200,000 and the applicant must be prepared to demonstrate that the business will employ at least 3 - 4 persons. Minimum annual trade should be at least $500,000.

The investment funds and the applicant both must come from the same Treaty Country. 50% or more of the U.S. investment must be owned by citizens of the Treaty Country.

[mahjongguy]

The Treaty Investor Visa permits citizens of certain countries to reside in the United States through an investment in the U.S.A. The investor must come to manage or oversee the investment.

That's not a bad deal, and I do wish that Thailand would implement something like it. In fact, if it's part of a treaty, it's logical to me that Thailand is SUPPOSED to be offering something like it, right?

Note that the US offer isn't just buy-a-condo; it's a no-kidding deal where the money must be at risk generating employment and capital. It is a non-immigrant visa. You get a 2 year entry extendable to the 5 year life of the visa, which itself can be renewed for another 5 years. You can have a spouse and dependents who can go to school but cannot work, not even for your business.

[Jingthing]

Why are people comparing Thailand to the USA? In Thailand, they SHOULD let you stay if you just buy a condo. These two countries are on entirely different levels.